High School and Beyond
by flickeringdreams
Summary: Neil and Rachel meet in high school, secretly crush on one another, then both end up moving. I'm bad at summaries, I'm sorry! T in case.


Why does summer have to end after only three months? Why can't it go on for a year? These are the questions Rachel Andrews ask on a daily basis starting in August.

"Seriously! I don't want to go back, and no one can make me!" she moaned one day. She and her best friend, Tina Charlotte, were lying by a pool. Tina glanced at her friend and put her sunglasses up on her head.

"Um, no one expect your mom," she pointed out, gesturing to Rachel's mother, who was sweeping the deck. Rachel blushed.

"Oh... yeah, true. If I skipped even once she'd kill me. So, I guess I'm going to school in three days." Sighing, she put her head back down. Tina looked at her with a troubled expression, then put her sunglasses back over her eyes.

The two friends laid there a while longer, until Rachel jumped up. "Geez, I feel like I've been stashed in the oven! I'm going in for a swim." With that, the blonde-haired girl jumped in. Tina sat up and put her magazine down. She took off her lucky four-leaf clover hair clip and shook her short brown hair. Then, she followed her long-haired friend in. Instead of jumping, she went halfway down the ladder and jumped from there. Rachel, who had already surfaced, rolled her deep blue eyes.

Tina and Rachel stayed in for another half-hour, then they went inside for dinner, courtesy of Rachel's mother.

After a dinner of steak, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies, the two went up to Rachel's room.

"I'm so glad I could sleep over," Tina said happily, brushing her hair out. Her hair was now as knotty as ever, from drying after being wet. Rachel was in a spread-eagle form on her blue bedspread.

"I'm glad too. Do you think we should prepare for school?" Rachel replied. She didn't want to, honestly, but it had to be done. Sitting up, she threw her legs over the side of her bed and let them dangle.

Tina turned around. "Seriously, Rio?" Laughing, she set down her brush and sat next to her friend. "I didn't think you would want to!" Rachel glared playfully at Tina, pushing her lightly.

"And why not?" Grinning, Tina decided to lie down so Rachel wouldn't shove her.

"Well?" Rachel stuck her lip out like a little child.

"Well, you hate school. And everything that goes with it." She stuck out her tongue. Rachel slowly nodded.

"Truuuue. But hey, I won't have to think about it for the next few days if I do it now, right?" Rachel stood up and stretched, then got down onto her knees to rummage under her bed.

"You know you'll think about it no matter what," Tina reminded her, sitting up. Rachel pulled a light blue and grey messenger bag from under the bed and glanced at her short-haired friend. She was staring knowingly at Rio with thoughtful green eyes. Rachel had no clue how she did it.

"That's true. But I won't worry as much." She pulled her bag open and sat it next to Tina.

"Yes, you will. You know what I mean." Rachel stood up and put her sun-tanned hands on her hips. She stared- or maybe glared - at her, while Tina fastened a four-leaf clover clip in her hair.

"I know. Just be quiet about it, all right?" Tina glanced at her and laughed. "Uh-huh, yes, ma'am."

Rachel sighed bitterly and turned back to her empty bag. It was black on the inside. She looked through each pocket in turn, then got down again.

"I'm going to start with two binders. Each will have two subjects. Does that sound okay?" Rachel asked. She heard Tina come up behind her.

"Yeah. I think so. You have extras?" Rachel nodded quietly. If one got too full, she needed another to take a subject.

"I just hope it won't get too full," Rachel murmured, looking back. Tina gave a hopeful smile and turned around to look in the mirror.

"Dude, it's high school. I'm betting you won't get off that easy."

-/\-

Neil Hawthorne whisked his blonde hair back with a pale hand. He frowned at himself in the bathroom mirror, most of all at his red eyes. No one else had red eyes! He growled at himself, then stopped. Sighing, he realized yet again that he was picking up animal habits.

A pounding on the painted-white door jolted him out of his thoughts. "Neil! Dammit, you take too long!" That would be Allen Degeneres, Neil's cold best friend besides Rod Stevens. Speaking of Rod, Neil heard a softer voice.

"You've been in there for half an hour," the ginger teen said through the door, gingerly knocking. Neil huffed and opened the door in a flurry. Rod and Allen stood there, staring at him expectantly.

"Whatever, come on," he muttered, running down the dark wooden stairs. His two friends glanced in wonder at each other, then followed.

**I DO NOT OWN HARVEST MOON OR ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN THIS STORY.**

**This is a tad bit old, but I figured, why not continue? Writers block at the end. No worries, it'll pick up!**


End file.
